If you’re looking for a way to unleash your inner supervillain, there’s definitely some fiendish fun to be had with Evil Genius 2 – but it might be worth waiting until it’s spent some more time being revised before marshalling your underlings for a tilt at your own slice of digital megalomania.
If you’re a long-time fan of the Strongholds franchise, then the change of scenery and some of the tweaks might be enough to make you climb over the parapets to get this one. For everyone else though, Age of Empires II/III Definitive Edition is likely to be a better bet, both from a content and general experience perspective.
Everything about the way Hitman III looks, feels, and plays is absolutely top-notch. This is an outstanding game, a fantastic way to start 2021’s AAA releases, and a must-play for anyone who like stealth, espionage, or complex scenario games.
The art style (borrowing heavily from the comics) is great, and the general vibe of the whole thing is well in keeping with the source material, but unless you’re a big fan of Scott Pilgrim or really like side-scrolling beat-em-ups, this isn’t one I’d recommend going out of your way to play.
This is an outstanding and highly enjoyable game, but take your time with it, do all the side missions (think of them as extensions of the main quest, in fact) and don’t rush the main storyline. You should absolutely take the earliest available opportunity to explore Night City and everything it has to offer. From the visuals to the music to the vibe, it’s a superb experience and one I am looking forward to spending a lot more time with.
With some more time ageing this could have been a cult hit, but right now playing Empire of Sin is an offer you probably should refuse.
The story is compelling enough to keep players engaged, the humour is well-pitched, and overall Immortals Fenyx Rising is a solid and enjoyable game for an oft-overlooked audience. While it’s not likely to top any Game Of The Year lists, it doesn’t have to, and as a gaming parent I’m glad to see age-appropriate adventures making an appearance for younger gamers to enjoy too.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a tour-de-force of epic proportions and an absolute must-play, get-it-as-soon as it launches experience. It’s an incredible showcase for the Xbox Series X as well as a Game Of The Year contender.
More of the same is not necessarily a bad thing, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a perfect example.
There are some fantastic ideas in the game which mostly work, but also require an element of metaphorically ignoring the stagehands and the suspension of disbelief may simply be too much for many players.